ISTANBUL

At least 20 Sudanese children were killed in January, most of them in the Kordofan and Darfur regions in western Sudan, UNICEF said Friday.

The deaths were cited in a report published by the UN children’s agency addressing the situation of children across the region, including Sudan.

“In Sudan, in January 2026, at least 20 children were killed, most of them killed in the Kordofan and Darfur states,” UNICEF said.

The agency warned that “millions of children in Sudan require lifesaving assistance, protection and the restoration of essential services” as fighting continues to devastate large parts of the country.

UNICEF said famine has already been confirmed in Al Fasher in North Darfur and in Kadugli in Kordofan, with nearly 20 other areas at risk.

Of Sudan’s 18 states, the Rapid Support Forces control all five states in the western Darfur region, except for parts of North Darfur that remain under army control. The Sudanese army holds most areas of the remaining 13 states across the south, north, east and center of the country, including the capital, Khartoum.

The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF erupted in April 2023 and has killed thousands of people while displacing millions.

*Writing by Rania Abushamala